CAPELLO, REDKNAPP AND HARMISON

On the 8th February 2012......Two stories dominated the sporting news on this day in 2012. First of all Fabio Capello resigned as manager of England.

The FA had gone over the Italian’s head to deprive John Terry of the England captaincy following the controversial Anton Ferdinand incident and Capello, believing his authority had been undermined, resigned as a result. On the same day at Southwark Crown Court Harry Redknapp was cleared of tax evasion having been accused of accepting secret untaxed bonus payments while manager of Portsmouth. Inevitably the press connected the two stories believing that ‘Arry’s acquittal removed the only obstacle to him becoming the new England manager. Well, it didn’t quite happen like that – but should it have done?

and on the 8th February 2015
One of the more unusual managerial appointments (and there have been some unusual ones!) - came on 8th February 2015 when Steve Harmison was appointed boss of Ashington FC. Harmiston was a former Durham and England fast-bowler who had played 63 times for England and had taken 226 Test wickets. Ashington FC were in the Northern League and had a usual home attendance of around 200. Harmison explained that it was his hometown club, he played for them before he joined Durham and trained with them while a Durham cricketer. But his first footballing love was Newcastle United! He resigned from the job in October 2017. OVER!

Harmison currently lives in Ashington with his wife Hayley and their three daughters Emily, Abbie and Isabel and son, Charlie. A family man by nature, Harmison admitted to homesickness and missing his family each time the England team went on tour; in an interview with The Independent in 2005, he stated:

"I have a family. I have kids that need me around and they will dictate the decisions I make on my career....My international career will finish when my family needs me to be around a bit more." He still remains a huge fan of football and is a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United F.C. Harmison has suffered from clinical depression from an early age,  but hid it as home sickness during his England career.

FEBRUARY 7th in History

 

Year	Events
1935	Cliff Jones, former Wales national football team player (59 caps and 16 goals),                                born this day.
1959	67 years ago, the former Rep. of Ireland football player Mick McCarthy is born.                                  He appeared for 57 matches in total and scored 2 international goals for                                        Rep. of Ireland.  He was also a national team manager.
1965	Birthday of the Denmark football referee Nicolai Vollquartz, who was an official                                 at 16 international games of European association football teams.
1978	Birthday of Daniel Van Buyten, who played for Belgium national team in                                      period 2001-2014  (85 caps and 10 goals).
1988	Estadio Cartagonova was opened in Cartagena. The venue hosted 2 football                                        matches of European national teams.
1993	Birthday of Valon Berisha, who played for Kosovo and Norway national teams                                    in period  2012-2016 (71 caps and 4 goals).
1997	International footballer Nicolò Barella is born 29 years ago. He played 66 matches                            for Italy national team and scored 10 goals.

MUNICH ANNIVERSARY

After beating Red Star Belgrade 2-1 in the European Cup quarter-finals first leg, in 1958, at Old Trafford, Manchester United travelled to Yugoslavia and had the tie wrapped up by half time. Dennis Viollet put United  ahead within 90 seconds and he then had a header disallowed on 14 minutes. Bobby Charlton scored one of his 30 yard screamers to make the score 2-0 on 30 minutes and one minute later, Duncan Edwards caused mayhem in the Red Start area with another goal. Red Star scored three in the second half to draw level but it would not have been enough as they needed four to force aplay off. The "Busby Babes" would get another chance to break Real Madrid's strong hold on the Europen Cup and win a place in European Cup history.

The Babes would indeed be guaranteed their place in history, but in the most tragic way. In the wake of the Superga Disaster, many clubs divided their squads in two and sent parties off in separate aircrafts. United did not! Their return flight from Belgrade stopped to refuel at Munich Airport, where it was snowing, but the pilot tried to take off and aborted two attempts which failed. On the third attempt, there was so much slush on the runway, the plane could not raise enough speed to take off and skidded off the runway at 157mph. careering into a nearby building, into which the impact killed 21 of the 44 passengers including; Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan-smoe names not so familiar to people under than "us"! Byrne was the oldest in the group at 28 years. Ducan Edwards survived the crash but died 15 days later. Red Star reponded to the tragedy by asking UEFA for Manchester United to become "Honorary Champions of Europe" but UEFA did not accept this gesture. 

In May, United won the first leg of the Semi-Final against Milan2-1 but lost the return 0-4. Real Madrid went on to win the Trophy.

ARSENE'S GARDENERS

On This Day  4th February 2017
The trouble with a manager getting a touchline ban is usually means that they end up sitting with the plebs...that us us supporters! And that can be an uncomfortable experience as Arsène Wenger found out when sitting with the paying spectators at Stamford Bridge during a four-match touchline ban received at the start of 2017 for abusing a fourth official. The Arsenal manager sat next to an Arsenal fan who was his gardener - but the Frenchman had no idea who he was! “But I do have a big garden..." was Wenger's get-out clause!

Former Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury, once tipped for stardom by Arsene Wenger and who had played 8 times for The Gunners, successfully transitioned into a new career as a gardener and entrepreneur after retiring in 2023, during the "Pandemic", aged 32. 

His products have not only hit the shelves at Homebase but also returned him to familiar turf, treating the grounds he once graced as a youth at Arsenal's Hale End academy. He founded "Grass Gains", an organic lawn fertilizer company, and has supplied products to professional football clubs, while also creating specialized, striped turf. Lansbury developed a passion for lawn care during the COVID-19 lockdown. His company, Grass Gains, achieved significant success, with products stocked in Homebase. He has tended to the pitches at Arsenal's Hale End academy, the same facility where he trained as a young player under Wenger.                             

Post-Football Life: After retiring at 32, following a promotion-winning stint with Luton Town, he committed full-time to his turf business. Lansbury has stated his goal is to help local clubs improve their pitches, enjoying the process of creating high-quality, striped surfaces. 

THE GOLDEN VISION

 Alex Young, born this day....3 February 1937 was a legendary Scottish footballer, best known for his time as a center-forward for Everton Football Club between 1960 and 1968, where he earned the nickname "The Golden Vision". He is considered to be one of the greatest players in Everton's history and is often referred to be the "King of Goodison" for his elegant style and high scoring rate. Everton Career: Signed from Heart of Midlothian in November 1960 for £40,000. He made 273 appearances and scored 87 goals for the Toffees. He died on 27 February 2017).

Major Honours: He was a key member of the 1962/63 League Championship-winning side (scoring 22 goals) and the 1966 FA Cup-winning team. Playing Style: Known for his incredible grace, ball control, and ability to glide past defenders. He was described as a "matador" with the ball, frequently tricking defenders and having an almost supernatural talent. Legacy: He was dubbed "The Golden Vision" by Spurs captain Danny Blanchflower. 

The phrase also inspired a famous 1968 BBC documentary about a blind fan’s devotion to him.       Post-Football: After leaving Everton in 1968, he briefly managed Glentoran and played for Stockport County. He later ran an upholstery business in Edinburgh. Young passed away in February 2017 at the age of 80, with tributes noting that his status as a club icon remained undimmed, decades after he left Goodison Park. 

HARTLEY AND POOLE and Kashi

 

Football players Peter Hartley and James Poole both scored for their team, Hartlepool United, in a match against Notts County. Poole scored the first goal putting Hartlepool in the lead, then Hartley headed in a free-kick. The goals from the suitably named players gave the team a 2-1 win over Notts County. 

3rd Feb 2013.

Football players Peter Hartley and James Poole both scored for their team, Hartlepool United, in a match against Notts County. Poole scored the first goal putting Hartlepool in the lead, then Hartley headed in a free-kick. The goals from the suitably named players gave the team a 2-1 win over Notts County. It is the first time Hartley and Poole have both scored for their team in the same game.

Hartley began his career at Sunderland, during which time he had a spell on loan at Chesterfield. He then went on to play for Hartlepool Utd, Stevenage, Plymouth Argyle, Bristol Rovers and Blackpool and in August 2017, he signed for Motherwell, initially on loan, making the move permanent in January 2018. In 2020, Hartley joined Indian Suoper League side Jamshedpur before returning to Hartlepool United for his second spell with the club in 2023. He ended his career in India with Inter Kashi.

Hartley holds a UEFA A Coaching Badge. In July 2024, Hartley alongside Matthew Dolan formed their own company which runs football coaching summer camps. Upon retiring from football in August 2024, he took up a coaching position in the academy at Middlesbrough. On 2 October 2024, Scottish Prem side St Mirren announced that Hartley had joined the club as Head of First Team Transition and Loan Pathways.

Inter Kaashee ke Yoddhas (Warriors of Kashi) Founded 29 June 2023; 2 years ago

James Alexander Poole (born 20 March 1990) is an English footballer.. He is primarily a striker but can also play left-wing and as an attacking midfielder. Since 2015 he has worked for City Football Group as a scout, but has combined this role with appearing for a series of non-league sides at the same time.

Playing career 

Manchester City After joining Manchester City's academy from Macclesfield Town's center of excellence for a small fee, he went on to be part of the Manchester City FA Youth Cup winning side in 2007–08 which beat Chelsea and signed a new one-year contract in March 2010. Having joined Bury on loan on 25 March 2010 until the end of the 2009–10 season, he made his debut on 27 March in a Football League match against Aldershot, going on to make 9 appearances for the club, before being sent-off in the last league match of the season. 

Hartlepool 

On 13 October Poole joined Hartlepool United on a one-month loan deal, which was later extended by a month. Poole made 6 appearances at Hartlepool, scoring his first goal in senior football in the League 1 game against Brighton & Hove Albion. In December 2010, Poole returned to his parent club, Manchester City. On 13 May 2011, Poole made a permanent move to Hartlepool for the 2011/12 season, signing a two-year contract. He stated in the Hartlepool Mail newspaper that he wanted to sign even more when he saw experienced midfielder Nolberto Solano was signing on the same day. He scored a wonder goal on his first permanent game for Hartlepool away to MK Dons in a 2–2 draw. James scored two goals in his fifth league game against Rochdale which saw him score a 20-yard volley in a 3–1 win to give Hartlepool their first win of the season after four consecutive draws. After a few appearances on the bench, Poole returned to the Hartlepool Utyd team and scored 2 away to Chesterfield. His first, a spectacular left-footed strike made the scores 2–2 and his second proved to be Hartlepool's winner, a close range header in the second half. Poole won Hartlepool's Goal of the Season award for 2012–13 for his goal in a 2–1 win against Notts County in February 2013, with Poole saying: "I think I would have to say it's probably the best goal I've ever scored. It might not look the best because it doesn't fly in to the top corner from thirty-five yards or anything, but technically I was really pleased with the goal". This goal also made national headlines after the two Hartlepool goalscorers were named Hartley and Poole. The goal was nominated for the Football League's Goal of the Year at the 2014 Football League Awards^] but was unsuccessful as Franck Moussa won the award. 

Poole signed a new contract with Hartlepool in 2013.^[13] He began the 2013–14 season under new boss Colin Cooper playing in a midfield role but lost his place in a CAM position to Luke Williams. Poole left the club in July 2014 turning down a new contract. At Bury, Poole went on trial with Melbourne City in pre-season but signed for Bury on non-contract terms in August 2014. Poole joined Conference side Dover Athletic on loan in November 2014.

Semi-professional  

In September 2015 he joined Salford City. In May 2017 he joined Altrincham and earned an Evo Stik League winners' medal in his first season. In 2019, he spent a month on loan at Hyde Utd, making four appearances before returning to Altrincham. After moving to Australia, Poole signed for Preston Lions in 2019.

Off-field career: 

After leaving Bury, Poole began working for City Football Group, owners of previous club Manchester City, in a scouting role. While there he combined his duties with playing for several non-league sides: In June 2019 he moved to Australia to head up the Australian branch of CFG's Scouting and Recruitment department, based at Melbourne City. 

James Alexander Poole (born 20 March 1990) from England. He is primarily a striker but can also play left-wing and as an attacking midfielder. Since 2015 he has worked for the City Football Group, as a scout, but has combined this role with appearing for a series of non-league sides at the same time. He has obviously been around "the World". In June 2019 he moved to Australia to head up the Australian branch of CFG's Scouting and Recruitment department, based at Melbourne City FC.

Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	Manchester City	0	(0)
2009–2010	→ Bury (loan)	9	(0)
2010–2011	→ Hartlepool Utd (loan)	3	(1)
2011–2014	Hartlepool United	96	(14)
2014–2015	Bury	4	(0)
2014–2015	→ Dover Athletic (loan)	17	(1)
2015–2017	Salford City	52	(21)
2017–2019	Altrincham	34	(2)
2019	→ Hyde Utd (loan)	4	(0)
2019–2021	Preston Lions	16	(5)
2022–	Dandenong Thunder	5	(1

PINCH PUNCH: FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH

 1st February 1936

On this date, there was a record-equalling, high scoring day in the Football League with 209 goals being recorded in the 44 matches played. These included a 12-0 win for Chester over York City and Chesterfield beating Crewe Alexandra 6-5 away. In addition to Chesterfield there were 6 goals each for Coventry, Walsall, Watford, West Brom and West Ham and six more clubs scored 5 apiece.

MORE RECORDS BUT NOT NECESSARILY ON THIS DAY!

• Most league goals scored in a season: 134, Peterborough United (Fourth Division, 1960–61)
• Most top-flight goals scored in a season (42 games): 128, Aston Villa (First Division, 1930–31)
• Most top-flight goals scored in a season (38 games): 106, Manchester City (Premier League, 2017–18)
• Most top-flight goals scored in total: 7,316, Liverpool
• Most home league goals scored in a season: 87, Millwall (Third Division South, 1927–28)
• Most away league goals scored in a season: 60, Arsenal (First Division, 1930–31)
• Most consecutive games scoring: 55, Arsenal (Premier League, 19 May 2001 – 30 November 2002)
• Most consecutive games without scoring: 11, Cheltenham Town (League One, 2023–24), Coventry City (Second Division, 1919–20) and Hartlepool United (Third Division, 1992–93)
• Most consecutive games from start of season without scoring: 11, Cheltenham Town (League One, 2023–24)
• First league goal awarded by goal-line technology: scored by Edin Džeko in the 14th minute of the Premier League game between Manchester City and Cardiff City on 18 January 2014. The game was officiated by Neil Swarbrick, who consulted his watch when Cardiff defender Kevin McNaughton quickly cleared the ball away just after it entered the goal.
• Lowest goals conceded-per-game average in a season: 0.35 (16 goals conceded in 46 matches), Burnley (Championship, 2024–25). Burnley also became the first side in English league history not to concede more than one goal in any fixture throughout an entire season.

and some record scorelines: (suitable for a family quiz or one down the pub!!) Why not save for Christmas Cracker?!

• Record win: 13–0:
  • Stockport County 13–0 Halifax Town (Third Division North, 6 January 1934)
  • Newcastle United 13–0 Newport County (Second Division, 5 October 1946)
• Record win in top flight: 12–0,
  • West Bromwich Albion 12–0 Darwen (First Division, 4 April 1892)
  • Nottingham Forest 12–0 Leicester Fosse (First Division, 21 April 1909)
• Record away win: Port Vale 0–10 Sheffield United (Second Division, 10 December 1892)
• Record away win in top flight: Southampton 0–9 Leicester City (Premier League, 25 October 2019)
• Highest aggregate score: Tranmere Rovers 13–4 Oldham Athletic (Third Division North, 26 December 1935)
• Highest scoring draw: 6–6
  • Leicester City 6–6 Arsenal (First Division, 21 April 1930)
  • Charlton Athletic 6–6 Middlesbrough (Second Division, 22 October 1960)
• Most goals scored by a losing side: 6 by Huddersfield Town losing 7–6 to Charlton Athletic (21 December 1957)
• Most double-figure scores by a club: 5 by Birmingham City (12–0 v Walsall Town Swifts, 17 December 1892; 10–2 v Ardwick, 17 March 1894; 10–1 v Blackpool, 2 March 1901; 12–0 v Doncaster Rovers, 11 April 1903; 11–1 v Glossop, 6 January 1915) (all Second Division)
• Most double-figure scores against a club: 4 against Darwen (12–0 v West Bromwich Albion, 4 April 1892; 10–0 v Manchester City, 18 February 1899; 10–0 v Walsall, 4 March 1899; 10–0 v Loughborough, 1 April 1899) (all Second Division except the West Bromwich win, which was in the First Division)
• Have a look at Loughborough in Second Division 1898-9!